This invention relates to hand rakes, and particularly to an improved rake of the type known in the art as a lawn rake.
The popular fan-shaped lawn rake as taught in, for example U.S. Pat. 4,219,993, herein incorporated by reference, is routinely used for raking leaves and other lawn debris. Such rakes are intended and designed for performing pull raking functions.
The use of a pull rake, in a pull raking operation, requires an amount of exertion such that some persons, especially some elderly, injured and handicapped persons, are not able to effectively use a pull rake to clean up ordinary debris in their yard.
In the more typical case wherein pull raking is a choice, namely the rake user does have sufficient dexterity and strength, the pull raking operation takes considerable time and does consume a significant amount of energy, for example to gather the leaves which have fallen in Autumn.
It is an object of this invention to provide a lawn rake which requires less energy and less dexterity to operate than a conventional lawn rake.
It is a further object to provide a lawn rake which can be used primarily in a push raking mode to gather the bulk of typical yard debris, and which is adapted to also be used in the conventional pull raking mode.
It is a more specific object to provide a push-pull rake having the normal up-turned rake teeth, and having a receptacle thereon, on the same side of the rake as the teeth, for receiving leaves and for providing a pushing surface to, in cooperation with the accumulating lawn debris, push and pile lawn debris ahead of the rake.
It is a further object to provide such a rake wherein the height of the receptacle walls is such that the rake can be used in the conventional pull raking mode, with the teeth directed downwardly, while maintaining clearance between the receptacle walls and the ground.
It is another object to provide a rake attachment apparatus adapted to be attached to a conventional lawn rake, thereby to provide, on the rake, a receptacle for receiving and generally immobilizing leaves and for providing a pushing surface to push and pile lawn debris on and ahead of the rake.
Another object is to provide, on the rake body, curved bearing segments of the teeth at the locus where the main portions of the teeth meet the upstanding end portions of the teeth, the radii of the arcs of the outer surfaces of the bearing segments being sufficiently large to accommodate sliding upon forward pushing of the rake body along the ground when the rear of the rake body is inclined upwardly as at a normal pushing height of an adult, e.g. between the hips and chest, and generally defining a height of about 36 to about 54 inches.
It is a more specific object to provide such an attachment apparatus wherein, when attached to the body of the rake, the upstanding walls of the so provided receptacle are such that the rake can be used in the conventional pull raking mode, with the teeth directed downwardly, while maintaining clearance between the receptacle walls and the ground.
Still other objects relate to providing methods of raking wherein the rake is pushed in cleaning up lawn debris, with optional pull-raking as further clean up.